The head of UK business aviation association BBGA has warned of a “disease” that could spread across Europe and add significant costs to business aviation operators. Marc Bailey said proposals by the UK to single out business aviation for border control charges could extend to other countries looking to increase revenues.
“The UK government says it will be charging for the ‘priority service’ or fast track that business aviation gets at ports of entry. But there is nothing different from what happens now at an FBO. The whole concept is to treat us differently,” Bailey said in a forum hosted by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) at EBACE on 21 May.
“I honestly believe this will spread across ¬Europe and beyond,” Bailey said. “It is a disease.” The BBGA is mounting a legal challenge to the border control moves and led an action group meeting with UK operators at the show.
EBAA chief executive Fabio Gamba, at the same event, said the industry needs to use the European parliament elections to increase awareness and a new perception of business aviation.
“We have had a bad reception in Brussels,” Gamba said. “We prepare reports on how many jobs we create, but they end up sitting on a pile on a commissioner’s desk. We need to approach from a different angle.” Gamba said two thirds of the elected members of the parliament would be new. “We need to see how we can educate them early on and get them to visit FBOs or manufacturers to give them a memorable experience so as they will understand better what we actually do.”
Source: Flight Daily News
